


Freak Out

by MsGordo_Writings



Series: Freaks R Us [4]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Families of Choice, Ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:47:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23219503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsGordo_Writings/pseuds/MsGordo_Writings
Summary: A collection of outtakes and alternative chapters set in the world of Freaks R Us.
Relationships: Connor (AtS)/Dawn Summers, Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter/Kit, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Series: Freaks R Us [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623346





	1. Harry and Dawn, Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

> These are the writings of [ MsGordo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kipplemine/profile), posted here with the author's express permission in order to preserve them from Yahoo Groups. If I have missed any tags or warnings, please feel free to let me know.
> 
> I am going to do my best to indicate where in Freak these take place, using the AO3 chapter numbering and not MsGordo's numbering.
> 
> This takes place in Chapter 4 of Freakazoid High, after the Ollivander's Shop scene.

Harry glared at Ron, “That’s never been proven!”

Ron folded his arms and said mutinously, “Yeah right, he gave you the invisibility cloak, told you what that daft mirror did  _ and  _ did nothing about the restricted section of the library being broken into by an invisible person, when he’d just given away a thing that made its wearer invisible, by the way, and he  _ knew _ we were searching for stuff on Nicholas Flamel.” He stuck out his chin, “He knew what he was doing alright.”

Harry folded his arms across his own chest and glared back at his best friend, “We did that all ourselves! Dumbledore had nothing to do with it.” His face was flushed with uneasy colour and his hair seemed to fairly crackle with energy. Dawn twisted her head to look at Connor and raised her eyebrows.  _ Uh-oh _ . 

Ron’s eyes flashed as he drew himself up to his full height of just over six feet, “Arse.” His hands fisted on his hips, “What about when Hagrid was arrested and he knew we were in that bloody cottage, eh? Or giving you and Hermione the time thingy and expecting you to sort out Buckbeak and bloody Sirus Black?” His eyes rolled in their sockets, “The man’s barking, Harry, admit it!”

Harry was finding it hard to breath through the ball of rage in his chest and he felt his whole body start a fine trembling as he tried to get himself under control. Although some of the most terrifying times of his life had come about through Dumbledore’s association with him, he firmly subscribed to Hagrid’s almost religious worship of the man and couldn’t bear the thought of people looking at the Professor in anyway but with respect. His hand reached into his cloak and withdrew his wand, “You take that back!”

Ron’s hand shot into his own robes and then his wand was pointed at Harry’s chest, “I will not!”

Dawn moved fast and knocked Harry’s arm up towards the ceiling as Connor deftly nipped behind Ron and grabbed the taller boy’s wrist to point the wand towards the floor. He patted Ron on the shoulder as he snarled and tried to twist his wrist from Connor’s iron grip, “Trust me, you’ll thank me for this later.”

Dawn planted herself squarely in front of Harry, “What the hell is with you?” She eyed his shaking figure up and down and then glanced over her shoulder at Connor and Ron, “We’re approaching total meltdown here. We’re gonna go get a coffee.” She took Harry’s arm and steered him towards the door, “Sorry about wrecking your shop.” Mr Ollivander nodded speechlessly as the sweet-faced girl with the amazing green eyes marched by him, clutching one of the wizarding world’s most famous heroes like he was a wayward toddler. “Connor, we’ll meet you back at the pub.”

Connor nodded and kept a tight grip on Ron until Dawn had dragged Harry out the door and up the street. He slowly let go of the boy’s wrist and took a careful step back, “You ok?”

Ron nodded and scowled fiercely, “Sorry.” He kicked savagely at a wooden chair against the wall, sending it skittering across the shop floor, “He’s just so bloody blind at times.” His chest heaved as he fought to control his temper, “He’s my best mate but he gets me so angry and sometimes I just want to…to…”

Connor ignored the furious protest from Mr Ollivander and thought of all the times he had wanted to knock Dawn clear across the room when she had thrown herself blindly into danger at a word from Giles or one of the others without a thought to the consequences. He levelled a look of wry understanding at Ron and said simply, “Tell me about it.”

So Ron did.

* * *

Dawn kept moving at a brisk walk until she reached her room at the Leaky Cauldron and then she shoved Harry unceremoniously down onto her bed. “Stay there.”

Harry shook his head and stood up, “Look, I’m fine. I’m sorry about before. I just need to be on my own for a while.”

Dawn cocked her head to one side and said quietly, “No. That’s exactly what you don’t need. I’m going down to order some coffee and then you are going to sit down and tell me all about it. If you move from this room while I’m gone then when I catch up with you, you’d better be pretty damn quick with that wand to stop me knocking your stupid head clean off.” Harry blinked as she flashed a quick smile, “Clear?”

He nodded and she turned to the door, “Ok. Be back in a few.”

When she returned Harry was seated on the edge of the bed with his head bowed and his hands dangling between his thighs. Dawn placed a tray containing a steaming pot, two mugs and some milk and sugar on the table beside the bed. “I got tea. Giles always drinks it when he’s stressed and you’re English so I figured it was probably the way to go.” She grinned as Harry lifted his head, “Plus, I figured caffeine was  _ not _ a good idea in the circumstances.”

Harry gave a weak chuckle and Dawn patted him on the shoulder companionably, “That’s the way.” She poured him a steaming mug of tea and liberally dosed it with sugar and added a splash of milk, “There, good for what ails ya.”

Harry took the proffered mug, “Thanks.” He sipped at the strong, sweet liquid and winced as it burned his tongue, “Sorry. We shouldn’t have argued like that in front of you.”

Dawn poured herself a mug and then settled comfortably on the bed, crossing her legs and leaning back against the wall with a sigh. She took a sip of tea and grimaced, “Ugh. I hate this stuff.” She smiled at Harry’s confused look; “Giles always gives it to me when I’m upset. It’s a comfort thing more than an enjoyable experience.” She placed the mug carefully on the table and linked her hands behind her neck as she stretched slowly, “So what’s with you and the nuclear reaction to Ron?”

Harry flushed and cradled the mug between his hands, “I just don’t like anyone slagging off the Professor.”

Dawn raised an eyebrow, “I get that. But if anyone’s earned the right to do it, it's Ron from what you guys told me.”

Harry stood up and paced restlessly up and down the room, “No one has the right to say those things about Professor Dumbledore.” He gestured with the hand still clutching the mug of tea and brown liquid sloshed out to splash against the wall. “You don’t know what he’s done for me. The sacrifices he’s made to keep us all alive.”

Dawn nodded and winced as the tea began to run down her wall, “Ok, so fill me in. Tell me what makes him so great.” Her eyes flicked back to the wall, “But if you aren’t going to drink that stuff can you put it down? I’m thinking that if the room needed a little something extra they would have added flowers or something.”

Harry looked at the wall and flushed again, “Oh. Sorry.” He handed the mug to Dawn and then scrubbed his hands over his face, “I don’t know what’s the matter with me.”

Dawn placed his mug next to hers, “So talk to me and let's figure it out.” She patted the bed, “Sit down and have a good rant and we’ll all feel better.” A sly grin appeared on her face, “Or are you gonna go all English and avoid the question and button up that stiff upper lip? ‘Cos I gotta tell you, I don’t take rejection that well.”

Harry made a sound that was half sob, half laugh, “Me either.” He moved to perch on the bed and buried his face in his hands again, “I just feel like I’m sinking so fast and I just can’t seem to get a grip on anything to keep me afloat. Everyone expects me to do great things and sometimes it’s just an effort to remember how to get dressed in the morning.”

Dawn smiled encouragingly at the bent head, “See? Making progress already. There’s one of your problems solved, you’ve got an advanced case of Woe-Is-Me syndrome as it's known in Sunnydale.”

Harry’s mouth fell open and he stared at Dawn in shock, “What?”

Dawn scratched idly at her neck, “Basically it means you’re going for the pity vote.” She frowned and slipped a hand under her t-shirt to scratch at her shoulder, “We get that a lot with Buffy. ‘ Woe-is-me, I’m the Slayer’, yada, yada. ‘Everyone expects me to go out and save the world’ and then off she trots and does it.” She sighed with satisfaction as she tracked down her itch, “Aah.” Her eyes closed as she continued to scratch, “It’s a terrible thing to have people constantly expect you do stuff that you’re capable of.” Itch scratched, she withdrew her hand and opened her eyes to nod encouragingly at Harry, “Carry on.”

Harry spluttered indignantly, “It's not that simple. You have no idea of the pressure that I’m under every single day. The expectations that people have of me.”

Dawn blinked, “Oh dear, you have got it bad.” She leaned forward to rub his arm gently, “And all powerful inter-dimensional being here, remember? I get pressure.”

Harry pulled furiously away from her soft touch, “You have no idea. My parents died saving me, other people have died saving me and Hermione and her family nearly died this year just because she knew me and Voldemort thought he could use her to hurt me.”

Dawn winked, “Got that one down too.” She leaned forward to balance her chin in the cupped palm of her hand and propped her elbow on her knee, “It’s a Sunnydale way of life to get snatched at least once a year and be held in ransom to hurt the Slayer.” She shrugged, “You get used to it.”

Harry jumped up again and whirled round to point a shaking finger at Dawn, “Hermione nearly  _ died _ . She could have been killed because of  _ me _ .”

Dawn nodded agreeably, “Uh-huh. But she didn’t. You got her back.” She raised one hand and punched the air, “Go team Harry!”

Harry kicked the wall and yelled furiously, “Don’t you  _ dare  _ laugh at me!”

Dawn lowered her hand and leaned forward to peer at the sizeable dent in the plastered wall, “Who’s laughing?” She looked at Harry’s apoplectic face, “And you know you’re paying for that, right?” 

“Who the  _ hell _ do you think you are?” Harry was actually starting to foam at the mouth he was so mad. “How  _ dare  _ you sit and judge me like that? And laugh at me and…and…” His voice cracked with rage rendering him momentarily speechless.

“I think the point is, who the hell are  _ you _ ?” Dawn watched with interest as the tips of his ears actually turned purple with rage. “You’ve spent too long listening to your own publicity and forgotten that you aren’t ‘Harry Potter, Great White Hope’, just Harry Potter, teenager.” She nodded sagely, “Just like Albus Dumbledore is a powerful man and he’s done great things, but he’s human and he’s gonna screw up sometimes.” One eyebrow raised in faint condemnation, “Like the mistake of sending three children to fight a very evil man just because he thought it was the right thing to do.”

Harry shook his head, “No. That’s not the way it happened. He saved me. I didn’t know what I was and he sent for me and saved me” He swallowed back tears, “I would have stayed with the Dursleys forever and never known what I was.”

Dawn said quizzically, “The Dursleys?”

Harry stared at her, “My…the people who brought me up. They’re muggles and they didn’t like me much.” Dawn raised her eyebrows and waited for him to continue, after a slight pause Harry said reluctantly, “My mother’s sister and her husband. They took me in when my parents died and fed me. They’ve got a son, Dudley, and he made my life a living hell when I was kid. They used to keep me in a cupboard under the stairs until Hagrid came and told me about Hogwarts.” His face softened as he remembered the wonder of receiving the first kindness in his life from the giant, “He came and took me away from the Dursleys and brought me home.”

Dawn frowned, “Wasn’t there anyone else who could have taken you? There must have been other people that could have looked after you and kept you safe.”

Harry shook his head, “No. Professor Dumbledore said that I needed to grow up without the whole world looking at me and seeing the boy who killed the Dark Lord. To help me be normal, he said.”

Dawn sniggered, “Well, I think we can safely say that plan backfired.” She raised her eyebrows at Harry’s face, “What? Leaving you to grow up in an unloving, abusive home rather than giving you to people who would love and care for you even if you got a bit big headed?” She snorted, “Oh yeah, sterling effort, right there.”

  
  



	2. Showdown with Voldemort, Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Chapter 11 (ish), where Dawn, Hermione, and Ginny get captured while in Hogsmeade.

Draco flew backwards through the portal with an enraged scream. He hit the floor with an almighty thump and lay stunned for a few seconds before rolling onto all fours and staring back at the fast closing portal. He bellowed with rage as he caught a glimpse of Ginny being blown off her feet by a Death Eater’s wand and then he was up and sprinting back towards the glowing circle. Dawn met his eyes for a moment and then she was snatched off her feet by a monstrous, winged shape.

Draco made a desperate leap for the portal but it winked out of existence as Dawn either shut it down or lost consciousness. He landed hard but bounced to his feet a moment later to claw wildly at empty air, “GINNY!” He flailed wildly for another minute before staring madly around himself.

“MR MALFOY!  _ What _ is the meaning of this?” Professor Sprout stood looking on in astonishment as the senior prefect for Slytherin pushed his white blond hair out of his eyes and searched the crowd of fourth years she had been showing how to transplant gillyweed by the lake.

Malfoy ignored the professor and pointed at a small pasty looking boy. “You, Creevey, get to Dumbledore and tell him Voldemort has Summers, Granger, xxxxx and Ginny Weasley. He knows what to do.” He whipped out his wand ignoring the startled cries of fear at the mention of the Dark Lord’s name and bellowed, “Potter, Revealus.” A small light materialised out of nowhere and then shot off towards the quidditch pitch, Malfoy took off after it yelling, “Tell him we’re going after them.  _ Hurry _ !”

Creevy turned Professor Sprout as she spluttered, “Stay where you are boy, I don’t know what’s going on here but…….” She choked as the boy spun around and began to sprint towards the school, “Creevey, get back here at once! CREEVEY!” Dennis Creevey ignored the angry shout behind him and concentrated on pumping his arm and legs as quickly as he could towards the school.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Connor were lying on the ground idly watching the first years have their last broom-riding lesson of the term. Harry followed one broom in particular, “That Plater boy has a nice touch. Make a good seeker.”

Ron shaded his eyes from the bright sunlight, “No bloody good on the ground though. He fell down the stairs twice yesterday, and didn’t even bloody trip over anything.”

Connor snorted with amusement and then turned his head, “What’s that?”

Harry sat up and peered all around, “What? I don’t see anything.”

Connor rolled to his feet, suddenly uneasy under the bright summer sun. “No, not see,  _ hear _ .” He tilted his head and sniffed the air, “It’s Malfoy.” He broke into a run, “Something’s wrong.”

Ron and Harry exchanged glances and without a word sprang to their feet and sprinted after their friend, robes flying madly in the wind. 

Connor rounded the end of the quidditch pitch and started onto the main path to the school then ran smack into Malfoy going hell for leather in the opposite direction. They went down in a confused tangle of arms and legs, adding to the confusion Ron and Harry pounded round the corner and were going too fast to stop. They tripped magnificently over the two boys on the ground and yelled furiously as they hit the ground. Harry raised his head and then shouted out again as Malfoy’s guiding light bounced enthusiastically off his forehead, “What the…? Malfoy, call it  _ off _ !”

A pale arm snaked out of the pile of bodies and whipped a wand through the air, Draco’s head followed in short order, “Connor…….they got them. Ginny…they…got……Ginny and the others.” 

Ron shoved Harry off his legs and lunged for the panting boy, “What? Who’s got Ginny? Where’s my sister?”

Connor got to his feet and pulled Ron off Draco with one hand and dragged the Slytherin prefect to his feet with the other. “Ron, back off. Draco, what’s happened?”

Malfoy bent at the waste and fought to get his breath back, “We… went to…. Hogsmeade. We were walking home and……” He broke off to gasp desperately for air, Harry felt his heart clutch as Malfoy’s face twisted with agony, “ They came out of nowhere……by the Shrieking Shack. Summers saw them and made a portal…….but I was ahead of them……and Ginny…..Ginny…..”

Ron lunged for the stricken boy, “What?  _ What’s _ happened to Ginny?”

Malfoy stood up and for the first time in his life since he had needed milk in a bottle his eyes shone with tears, “Ginny and Granger pulled their wands and used the xxxxxxxx curse on me. They……they..knocked me through the portal and then I couldn’t get back before Summers shut it.” He grabbed the front of Connor’s robes, “We have to go after them. They’ll kill them.”

Ron and Harry stared in horror at the frantic blond and then jumped as Connor snarled, “Damn woman. They’ll have to beat me to it, because when I get my hands on her……” He grabbed Malfoy and pulled him into a run, “Come on!”

Ron and Harry pelted back onto the quidditch pitch in Connor’s wake. Connor ran past Madame Hooch and snatched the keys to the broom shed from her waist as he sped on his way, “ANGEL! What on earth……”

Connor ignored her and arrived at the shed to fumble keys one at a time into the padlock. “Harry, weapons!”

Harry nodded and cut his wand through the air bellowing, “xxxxxxxx!” Ron looked up as a wooden chest came hurtling through the air and landed with a crash an inch or two from his toes. He kicked the catch and flung the lid back to reveal glittering silver blades. Really, really sharp glittering silver blades.

Connor was fast losing patience with the keys and padlock until Malfoy beat him to it and shoved him aside to point his wand, “xxxxxx!” The door exploded inwards and then the two boys lunged inside to grab their broomsticks. Harry hurriedly transfigured a small rock nearby into a canvas carryall and began to load the weapons inside. 

Madame Hooch ran furiously towards them, “POTTER! WEASLEY!  _ What _ is the meaning of this?”

Ron snatched the broom that Connor held out towards him and pointed his wand at Connor’s own adapted one, “Wingardium Leviosa!” The broom rose into the air at the same moment that the other three boys shouted “UP!” to their own. All four leapt onto the hovering objects and kicked off from the ground just as Madame Hooch made a futile grab for Harry’s robes.

They accelerated fast into the sky, ignoring the frenzied screaming from the maddened Professor and kept going in a near vertical climb. Harry narrowed his eyes against the wind and shouted, “Hang on, we’re going to hit the charm barrier in a minute.” He leaned forward to grip his broom handle tightly, Draco and Ron copied him as Connor glanced down to make sure his feet were securely in their clasps and crouched down on his small platform.

When it came there was surprisingly little resistance. The broomsticks were slowed for a brief second and then were spat with doubled velocity into the sky above Hogwarts. Harry fought to bring his broom round and then managed to come to a controlled hover as Ron and Draco pulled up next to him. It took Connor a little longer, but he eventually managed to surf his broom round in a wide circle and draw to a stop next to his friends. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small black box, he flicked a switch and the box hummed to life. Malfoy frowned, “What is it?”

Connor studied the flickering screen for a moment and then gave a small nod to himself, “Tracking device. Dawn and I both wear these….” He pulled silver chain from the neck of his robes and showed them the small cross that tangled from it, “They’re bugs. Completely useless at school, but on the outside let’s me know exactly where she is.” He glanced up at the sun, “They’ve gone north. Let’s go.” His foot came out of its holder for a moment and he pushed against the air and then took off. 

Draco leaned down over his broom to follow him and then looked up as Ron snagged his arm, “If they’ve hurt them, Malfoy….”

He left the unspoken threat hanging in the air, Draco cocked an eyebrow, “There won’t be a hole anywhere on this earth deep enough for them to hide.”

Harry leaned around Ron to say quietly, “You know what this may mean. Your father may be involved.”

Draco stared into Harry’s green eyes and snarled, “If he’s laid a finger on any of them I’ll turn him over to the Dementors myself.” He tugged his arm from Ron’s grip and pointed his broom in Connor’s wake.

Ron and Harry watched him for a second and then exchanged glances. Harry shrugged, “Looks like Malfoy’s showing his true colours.”

Ron smiled grimly, “Who’d have thought they wouldn’t be yellow?”

Harry snorted and leaned over his broom, “Let’s go. I’ve never been beaten by Malfoy in the air and I’m not starting now.”

************************************

Ginny screamed as Voldemort stepped towards Dawn with the sharp dagger and then screamed again as a furious shout came from the sky. Her face barely had time to tilt up before Connor hurtled down into the clearing on his broom and snatched 

Dawn held out her hands to either side and smirked at Voldemort as she held him caught in the glowing energy. Connor’s palm smacked against hers and then Harry slipped his hand into her other one. One by one, their friends stepped up until they made a circle of eight around the snarling dark wizard.

Voldmort screamed as Draco and Hermione joined hands at their powers combined to hum through the eight teenagers. Dawn’s gave a smile terrible in its beauty, “Fool. Did you think you could destroy us?”

Voldemort writhed furiously, “I will destroy you all.”

Dawn winked at Buffy, “You cannot destroy us. We are forever.” She cocked an eyebrow, “Plus, we’re like  _ totally _ the good guys. We  _ so _ win!” Her fingers clenched around Connor’s hand, “How’s it feel to be destroyed by a weapon of your own making?”

Harry met Draco’s eyes across the circle and he grinned at the startled blond as he said, “Yeah, how embarrassing. You could get kicked out of Supervillian School.” He nudged Dawn, “How was that?”

The American grinned, “Not bad. Top pithy marks to the guy with the pickled toad eyes and the funny mark on his head.”

Malfoy laughed, “I  _ really _ like her.”


	3. Alternate Chapter 15/16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alternate Chapter 15/16, the confrontation with Fudge.

_ Durus Catenatus _ house strode into the Great Hall the next morning armed to the teeth and looking for a fight. Ron, in the lead of the grim faced group, had taken precisely three steps inside the hall’s doors before they got one. “Stop right there!” Harry glared as his least favourite person in the world after Professor Snape strode towards them shaking a querulous finger, “You stop right there and turn your wands over to the Aurors or I’ll have you all placed under arrest and taken to Azkaban!”

“Mr Fudge.” Ron gave the minister of magic a brief nod, “How are you?” He took a step towards the much smaller man, smiling in cold satisfaction as the minister’s head barely reached the middle of his chest. He bent down and said quietly in the man’s ear, “I’m not the mood for your stupid little power games this morning now get out of my way before I forget who I am and hex your shrivelled, cowardly little arse into the middle of next week. Please.”

“Ho…how dare you?” The little man turned purple with rage and embarrassment at being spoke to so disrespectfully and his little bowler hat looked in danger of shooting straight upwards from the pressure, “GUA…”

Fudge’s eyes focused on the five wands suddenly pointing at him and the very sharp looking crossbow that Connor wielded. Connor’s mouth stretched in mirthless grin, “Just give me a reason and I swear to god I will.”

Dawn kept her wand pointing at the Minister but let her eyes travel around the suddenly silent room as Aurors and the students that had spent the night in the hall froze in horror as they stared at the tableau before them, “Anyone who didn’t spend last night avoiding big, pointy teeth and who isn’t currently attending this school as a student, drop your wands and reach for the candles or your little purple guy is gonna get the hexing of a lifetime.” She lifted an eyebrow as an Auror raised their wand hesitantly and added calmly, “And then I’ll let my boyfriend with the _really big_ _crossbow_ have him. Clear?”

  
  



	4. Ghosts, Approximately Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ghostly confrontation, at approximately Chapter 20.

“No.” Kit’s eyes flashed angrily. “No, he didn’t. He died because a piece of crap used you and he wanted to help.” She looked back at Carlos and tears spilled from her reddened eyes once more. “I knew Carlos better than anyone and I know that he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself. He knew what he was doing every time he went on patrol, every time we went out the door with Buffy or the others.” Her voice broke on a sob and she swallowed to clear her throat. “He didn’t want to die but he was prepared for it. Our job is to get the person responsible and make them pay for what they’ve done.” She smiled tremulously at Connor’s white face. “That person isn’t you, Connor. It never was.”

Dawn moved forward to slip her arms around Connor’s waist and lay her head hesitantly against his heaving chest as guilty tears began to fall. “Listen to her, baby.” She pressed a desperate kiss to his chest and squeezed with everything she had as he began to tremble in her arms. “This isn’t your fault, Connor.”

Connor buried his face in her hair and wrapped his arms tightly around Dawn as he began to sob in earnest, biting back a whimper as he imagined the cold, judgmental eyes of Daniel Holtz watching mockingly from the shadows. He shuddered as he tried to rid his mind of the bitter accusations and recriminations that had served as his childhood nursery rhymes and stories but even the wiry comfort of Dawn’s arms around him were lost before years of hateful conditioning and blame. Then he jumped a mile as Kit gasped and stumbled back. “Wh…who’s that?”

Dawn whipped around, her eyes darting frantically from corner to corner as Kit backed hurriedly away from the centre of the room. “What? Who’s who?”

Kit bumped her hip painfully on the corner of Carlos’ resting place and pointed a shaking finger at the old, scarred man that hovered over Connor’s shoulder. “Th…that.”

Connor spun and stared behind him, dashing tears from his eyes as he looked wildly around. “Who? Kit, there’s no one there.”

Kit jumped again as the old man flashed his teeth in a predatory smile. “Steven cannot hear me, girl.”

Kit swallowed and glanced at Dawn and Connor as they spilt to flank her warily. “Tell me you guys heard that.” Her fingers began to pluck at her jeans as they both shook their heads and continued to look nervously around the dim room. “Oh God, I hate it when this happens.” Kit took a breath and gathered all her courage to say accusingly. “You’re a ghost, aren’t you?”

Holtz nodded and moved silently forward. “I’m much more than just a ghost, child. I am the embodiment of all that you and your kind fear.”

“Ki…kind?” Kit tried an appeasing smile. “There’s no kind here. All regular folks.”

“Liar!” Kit flinched and screamed as the man roared angrily across the room. Dimly she was aware of Buffy and Spike pounding furiously on the door as they found their way barred. “Abominations all of you!”

“Kit, what’s going on, what do you see?” Dawn slipped her wand from her jeans’ pocket and tried to reach out with her senses as she had practised. “I can’t feel anything.”

“There’s a guy.” Kit plucked anxiously at her clothes and tried to sound as calm as Dawn. “A really angry guy and he’s all scarred and stuff.” She took a sudden step forward as Holtz reached out a hand towards Connor. “Don’t touch him!”

Connor stumbled back at Kit’s panicked command and flailed his arms. “Touch what? I can’t see anything!”

“Connor, just stand still.” Kit took another step forward and kept her eyes on the malevolent presence before them. “Back off, Casper.”

Holtz sneered. “You have no power over me. What do you intend to do to stop me?”

“Anything I have to.” Hoping she didn’t look as terrified as she felt, Kit forced herself to keep moving forward and between the ghost and Connor. “What do you want?”

“My son.” Holtz raised his hand towards Connor once more and hissed as Kit moved to block him. “I was called to reclaim him.”

Wary understanding showed in Kit’s eyes. “I know who you are.” She flicked uneasy eyes towards Dawn and then looked back into the maddened eyes of the dead man. “You have no power here. Get lost.”

Dawn shifted uneasily from foot to foot. “Kit, I’ve heard better exorcisms.”

“No power?” Holtz laughed and pointed at the frazzled Connor. “I have all the power I need right there. He called to me when he was lost and the vampire came to find him. He has finally acknowledged his true place and destiny and I have come to bring him home. My Steven.”

“ _ Our _ Connor.” Kit backed up until she felt the warmth of Connor’s body against her spine and fumbled back for his hand. “Dawn, get over here.” She didn’t dare take her eyes from the watchful face of Holtz but waited until she felt Dawn squeeze her arm tightly. “The guy says he’s Connor’s father.” She ignored the gasp and flinch of Connor’s body and redoubled her grip on his hand. “He says he’s come to get him, you got anything to say about that?”

Dawn’s eyes widened and she gripped Connor’s arm in her other hand. “Dru dealt with him. Connor, you said she’d made him go away.”

Connor dazedly shook his head. “I…I…don’t know. I thought…I thought…”

Dawn glanced up at him and realised from the stunned, fearful look in his eyes that she and Kit were in their own. A surge of rage surged through her body at the thought of anyone ever making her mate look and feel the way Connor did right at that moment and her lips drew back from her teeth in a fierce snarl as she stepped in front of Connor protectively. “Buddy, you are  _ so  _ dead.”

Kit tugged gently on Dawn’s arm to bring her around to the left a little so she was actually threatening Holtz and not an innocuous wall, and whispered uneasily. “That’s kinda the problem, Dawn.”

Dawn’s eyes snapped with green fire and her hair began to float lazily around her head in a non-existent breeze. “No, the problem is this guy never knows when to quit.” Her wand fell to the floor as she spread her arms. “But he’s gonna learn…”

Kit gasped as she stumbled back from the blast of power that burst from Dawn’s fingertips and went crashing into Connor to take them both to the floor. Connor rolled instinctively on top of Kit, covering her protectively with his own body and Kit reached up to cling to him tightly as she heard him give a broken whimper at the thought of Holtz coming for him once again. Through the scream of the wind that Dawn had brought forth and the tears that the ice cold air brought to her eyes, Kit saw the laughing figure of Holtz step forward with a laugh into the very eye of Dawn’s power and throw back his head in exultation as the magic whipped through him. “ _ Dawn _ !” Kit’s scream was barely heard in the cacophony of noise in the dungeon. “ _ Dawn, he’s feeding on your power _ …” She screamed again as a flash of white lightening lit up the dungeon and tugged Connor’s head into her shoulder as a pulse of pure magic enveloped Dawn and Holtz. 

“Dawn.” The familiar voice cut effortlessly through the deafening noise and had Kit gasping as she twisted to look behind her. “Dawn, that’s enough.” Carlos stepped past the huddled shapes of Connor and Kit on the floor and reached out a translucent hand for his friend. “Dawn,  _ stop it _ .”

“ _ Carlos _ ?” The magic around Dawn faltered for a moment as she turned away from Holtz and then the pulse intensified as she shook her head. “It’s a trick.”

Carlos raised an enquiring eyebrow and gestured to the pale lemon shirt and blue jeans he was wearing. “Does this look like an outfit a master prankster would wear, Summers?” He glanced behind him at his body on the raised platform as the noise around them slowly died away. “Does anyone know where my vest and jacket went?”

Kit pushed frantically at Connor and managed to scramble out from beneath him. “Carlos. God, Carlos, it’s really you!” She launched herself at him with a glad cry, which rapidly turned into one of shock as she passed straight through his body and fell to her knees on the floor behind him.

Carlos rolled amused eyes. “Kit, I’m kinda dead here. I’m guessing I’m not gonna be big with the hugging.” He grinned at Dawn as she slowly lowered her arms and the light in the dungeon faded to the one sputtering lamp that had been there originally. “Hey, Dawn, looking pretty good there.”

Dawn, aware her jaw was hanging somewhere around her knees, gaped at the shade of the young boy. “Bu…bu…you…and…but…”

Carlos grinned. “I get that a lot.” His eyes narrowed at Holtz behind her. “Can you see him now?” Dawn glanced back and shook her head and Carlos nodded. “Ok, go take care of Connor. I’ll deal with this.”

Kit scrambled to her feet and stumbled to Carlos’ side. “How…what…”

Carlos held up a stalling hand. “Kit, we don’t have a lot of time. He’s not like me, there’s something calling him here and giving him power.” The ghost’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he eyed the suddenly uneasy face of Holtz and then Carlos turned to look back at Connor still crouched on the floor. “Or someone.”

Kit shook her head. “I don’t understand.” She tried to take a steadying breath and Buffy and Spike’s efforts to break down the door registered in the back of her mind. “I should get Buffy.”

“Buffy can’t help. This is a junior Scoob thing.” Carlos moved in front of Kit as Holtz stepped forward. “You don’t want to do that.”

“Leave this place, you have no business here.” Holtz’s lips twisted in a snarl, as he looked the younger ghost up and down. “I have come for my son.”

Carlos raised a calm eyebrow. “He’s not yours and this  _ is _ my business.”

“He killed you, cut you down in your prime, leave him to those who know how to deal with his evil.” Holtz shimmered in the weak light as his emotional balance fluctuated. “He knows his place.”

“But he doesn’t, that’s kind of the issue.” Carlos crossed his arms and remained firmly planted in front of his friends. “Dru brought him back back but he still doesn’t believe this is where he belongs. And for the record he didn’t kill me.” Behind Carlos, Connor raised his head disbelievingly and stared as the Hispanic boy continued with his typical calm. “You’re the one with no place here, stop feeding from his pain and leave him alone.”


	5. Christmas, Alternate Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alternate take on Chapter 37

Christmas morning dawned bright and sunny over Hogwarts and Durus Cateanus found themselves woken much earlier than they would have liked by Roberto and Luca bursting shrieking with excitement into the training room trailing half melted chocolate frogs and tinsel in their wake. The training room had been divided into several partitioned smaller rooms to accommodate the Scoobs and Fang Gang during their stay and Harry, Connor and Draco had found themselves camping on the small space left on the floor just inside the door when they had been unable to get back into their dorm the night before. Connor wheezed as Luca tripped over the pile of training mats he was sleeping on and landed square on his stomach. “Jeez….” He grabbed the small boy by the scruff of his neck and tossed him lightly to sprawl on Draco splayed out next to him and curled up into a pained ball. “Merry Christmas to you too.”

Draco woke with a start to find a small, chocolate smeared face hovering inches from his nose and then flinched when Luca squealed with joy as Draco’s eyes opened. “I got presents!”

“If you don’t get off me, you little git, I’ll put them all in the fire.” Draco gave the toddler a shove to move him off his chest and sat up with a scowl. “What time is it?”

“Christmas!” Roberto drummed his small fists on Harry’s chest and bounced up and down with excitement. “It’s Christmas time!”

Connor uncurled to stretch out an arm and ruffle the hyper child’s dark hair. “No kidding?” He waved the piece of gold tinsel he had freed from the child’s wild curls. “I thought you just wanted to look pretty.”

“You’re pretty.” Luca abandoned Draco’s unwilling lap and hurled himself into Connor’s waiting arms. “You look pretty.”

“Sweet Merlin, blind as well as idiotic.” Draco scrubbed a hand over his bleary face and sneered at the two little boys. “And raising some early concerns about which team they’re going to be batting for if they grow up.”

“I think you mean when not if.” Harry gentle restrained Roberto’s still hammering fists and managed to hold the kid still long enough to sit up before returning the child’s enthusiastic hug. “ _ When _ they grow up.”

Draco scowled darkly at the chocolate frog that was melting happily onto the white dress shirt he had been forced to sleep in and muttered ominously. “I know what I meant.” He looked up as the door opened again and Dawn’s head poked through. “Bugger off, we’re sleeping.”

“Happy Christmas to you to, Grumpy.” Dawn blew Draco a kiss as she slipped into the room and hurled herself at Connor. “Hey, baby.”

“Hey.” Connor shifted Luca to one arm and caught Dawn in the other as she landed and sent them toppling back down onto the mat. “Merry Christmas.” He growled as she kissed Luca on the top of his head and then bestowed a considerably more passionate and adult one on him. “Oh yeah, definitely merry.”

“Room for two more?” Kit grinned as Harry’s face lit up and he blushed before giving her a shy nod. She sidestepped Draco and dropped to her knees beside Harry. “Morning.” They leaned forward to exchange a slightly self-conscious peck on the lips and then grinned at each other in silence as Roberto began to wriggle I for his freedom in Harry’s arms.

“Morning.” Ginny smiled shyly at Draco and gestured to the empty spot on the mat at his feet. “Mind if I join you?”

* * *

  
  


Draco staggered back under Ginny’s weight and instinctively wrapped his arms around her to keep his balance. They ended up against the wall, with Ginny’s face pressed into his neck and her tears, and some drool, running down his skin. Draco blinked stupidly at Connor as he grinned and gave him the thumbs up before pulling Dawn in for an enthusiastic kiss and quick post-battle grope.

“I th…thought you were de…de…dead!” Malfoy’s mouth fell further open as Ginny wailed pitifully in his ear and then drew back and punched him in the stomach, “Don’t you ever do that to me again, you git!” She glared at him as he bent over, gaping like a landed fish and then flung her arms around his neck once again, “I thought you were deeeaad!”

Malfoy staggered back under her weight once more, “Weasley, what the…?” His voice cut off as her stranglehold on his neck increased as she began to sob out her relief once more. Connor rolled his eyes and clicked his fingers to get his friend’s attention. Draco watched as the American put his arms around Dawn in an exaggerated gesture and then bent his head to kiss her. Draco’s eyes widened as Connor pulled back from the kiss and mouthed, “Now you do it!” and he shook his head. Connor glared at him, making a fist with his hand and mimed punching Draco; still the blond boy shook his head.

Malfoy glanced down at the top of Ginny’s red-head and then mouthed urgently to Connor, “She’s not ready.” He patted the distraught girl awkwardly on her shoulder and muttered, “There, there, Weasel. Its all over now.” 

Connor kept his eyes on Malfoy and reached for his axe as he mouthed menacingly. ‘Don’t make me hurt you!’.

Draco held the sobbing girl as close as he dared against him and continued to awkwardly pat her shoulder, and when that failed to have any appreciable affect he started to whisper low nonsense in her ear as he hesitantly began to stroke her tangled hair. It took a while but gradually Ginny began to stop crying and eventually she had subsided into the odd hiccup against his chest although the stranglehold on his neck didn’t ease up in the slightest. Realising that they were going nowhere fast Draco slowly eased to the floor and then when no protest came from Ginny leaned up against the low wall and cradled her across his lap. Dawn eased out of Connor’s arms and took in the situation with a glance; she leered at Malfoy in a manner very reminiscent of Spike and then tugged on Connor’s hand to lead him out of sight around the corner of the building.

Draco watched them go and tightened his arms around Ginny as she tried to burrow closer against him. “Its alright, Ginny. Its all over now.” One hand cradled the base of her skull tenderly as the other stroked smooth circles across her back, “It’s alright, love.”

Ginny gave another hiccup and raised her swollen face, “I’m sorry. I just thought…” She blinked at him as tears threatened again, “I’m so glad you’re alright, Malfoy.”

Draco grinned, “Me too.” His hand slipped around from the back of her head and cupped her cheek, “Come on, carrot, pull yourself together. Anyone would think you cared about me.” 

Ginny’s eyes widened and she blinked several times before suddenly becoming very aware of their position, “Sorry. You must think I’m a real idiot.” She tried to push away and scramble from his lap, but Malfoy was slowly recovering from his surprise and tightened his arm around her waist.

“Yes I do.” His long fingers stroked her salt-streaked face as she squirmed for her freedom and he tilted his head to the side as he whispered, “I’ve been offering you the world for months now and it takes me nearly being eviscerated for you to notice I exist.” He traced her slightly open mouth, “Whatever would you have done if I’d have died? Would you have mourned me?” Draco bent his head and rubbed his cheek along the top of her head, “Would you have cried more of those heartfelt tears for me?”

“I…no…I…” Ginny’s eyes widened as Malfoy’s hand cupped her chin and tilted her face up to his, “Draco, I really don’t think…”

“Good plan.” Draco bent his mouth to hers and brushed his lips against her skin gently, “You keep right on with the not thinking while I just do this.” His mouth pressed more firmly against her and he whispered, “I won’t hurt you, Ginny. You can trust me. Can I kiss you?” His tongue flickered out to stroke her bottom lip, “Let me kiss you.”

Ginny felt her face flood with colour as her spine turned to jello at the soft question, “Draco, I…”

Malfoy’s lips moved to the side of her mouth, “Please, Ginny, just one kiss. Just one.”

Ginny melted. “Yes.” She gasped as his mouth moved to cover hers and then sank against him as his arms wrapped securely around her. His touch was gentle and she could feel him trembling as he forced himself to remain in check and not savage her mouth with his own. The first taste was exquisite; power, want and need all wrapped up in a cool, faintly minty, taste and then she was spiralling down into a world of new sensations as they fell headlong into the kiss.

It was Draco that finally pulled back to stare down with dazed eyes at Ginny’s stunned face. “Well, you’re certainly full of suprises.” He licked his lips. “I never thought it would be like that.”

Ginny licked her own mouth. “Me either.” She shifted uncomfortably as his fingers drifted absently over her raised scar. “Don’t do that.”

“What?” Mesmerised by the feel of her skin under his touch Malfoy was lost in a plethora of cunning plans on how to get her into bed and naked as soon as possible without either frightening her off or tipping her brother to his nefarious intentions. “Don’t do what?”

Ginny squirmed as his fingers traced the scar once more. “My scar. Please…”

“Hmm? What scar?” Draco completely missed Ginny’s stunned expression as he worked out how to convince her to get on his broomstick with him and head for the Owlery. He was pretty sure that Connor wouldn’t mind sharing his love nest. “Do you want to go for a ride?”

“What?” Ginny tried to catch up to the tangent the conversation had veered off on. “A ride?”

Malfoy leaned down and brushed his mouth across hers once again. “I have a sudden need to visit the Owlery.”

“But…but…my scar.” Ginny squeaked as she found herself somehow held high against Malfoy’s chest as he loped off to where he’d left his broomstick.

“It can come with us.” Draco replied absently as he scowled at the wide field. Where the bloody hell had he left the damn thing? “Can you remember where we parked?”

“Malfoy!” Ginny smacked his shoulder, “Draco!” She gave small smile when he looked down at her in surprise, “Could you let me go?”

Draco tightened his grip. “Why?” He frowned suspiciously, “Have you changed your mind?” His eyes widened and Ginny watched with detached amusement as he realised that her face was somewhat higher than usual. “Oh. Sorry.” He carefully lowered her to her feet but, being a Malfoy and therefore not one to let an opportunity pass him by, kept a firm grip on her waist. “Have you changed your mind?”

Ginny noted with wonder that his hands were actually shaking against her back as he asked the question. “Changed my mind about what exactly?”

Draco frowned. “About us.” He drew himself up to his full height and looked warily down at her. “About the relationship between us?”

“There’s a relationship?” Ginny blinked in mock amazement and decided to have a little fun. “Did you know I can see straight up your nose from here?”

“Of course there’s a relationship! Do you think that I go around kissing every…What?” It was Draco’s turn to blink in amazement as her last comment registered. “What about my nose?”

Ginny made a big show of peering upwards. “I can see straight up it.” She patted his shoulder in admiration. “You have a very defined septum. Do you work out?”

“Work out?” Malfoy shook his head and tried to will the blood that had migrated south with the first touch of Ginny’s lips to head back to his brain so he could figure out exactly when he’d lost control of the situation. “Septum?”

“Mmm.” Ginny’s lips curled mischievously. “It’s very nice.” She held her breath as she slipped her arms hesitantly around his waist, alert to any signs of a sneer and Malfoy laughing at her that she’d fallen for one of his jokes.

All the blood that had made it as far as Draco’s kidneys dropped like a stone back to his groin as her arms folded around him. His arms tightened around her and he whispered with heartfelt sincerity at her upturned face. “You are so beautiful. Kiss me again.” His face creased in a frown as she pulled back and turned her mouth from his suddenly, “Ginny?”

“You don’t have to say that.” Ginny stared down at the grass and blinked back tears. “You don’t have to sweet-talk me.”

“I don’t?” Not understanding what was happening, Draco tried a grin. “Excellent! Drop ‘em and lets get naked.” When that failed to get even a small smile, he cupped a hand to her face and turned her head back to look at him. “Why wouldn’t I want to tell you how ravishing you are? I’m not completely without social graces you know.”

Ginny shook her head. “I know what people see when they look at me.” She bit her lip and raised her chin bravely. “I know you want me, for whatever reason, but don’t think you have to pay me empty compliments to get me to do what you want.” She smiled. “I want you too. I’ll do it anyway.”

“How reassuring.” Draco released his hold on her and stepped back. “And how marvellously insulting.” His face became a cold mask. “And what precisely do you think I want from you? A quick roll in the sheets once in while with no strings attached?”

Ginny frowned and her hands twisted nervously in the front of her robes. “What else could it be?” She touched a hand to her face. “I know the way I look…”

“Oh that’s it, is it?” Draco’s face flooded with furious colour. “That stupid little scar.” He folded his arms across his chest and glared. “You have a slight imperfection and you’ve decided that I’d be as hung up on it as you are.” He slashed an angry hand through the air. “You’re quite right I suppose, what was I thinking?” His mouth twisted cruelly. “Well as long as no one finds out about us, I can’t see it being a problem. Of course, when we  _ have _ to be seen in public together you could always pop a bag over your head to hide it. Or perhaps some kind of a veil, do you think?” 

He slapped a hand against Ginny’s shoulder as she opened her mouth to answer him and shoved her back a pace. “I’m not finished! For some reason you seem to be the only person in the world that hasn’t noticed just how much I adore you, you stupid little tart. I spend my days mooning after you and jumping through hoops to get your attention and now I finally have it you assume that you’re some kind of  _ pity fuck _ ?” He shoved her again. “You may be thinking in terms of ‘any hole’s a goal’, carrot, but I was actually thinking along the lines of having a relationship. With feelings and emotions.”

“A relationship?” Ginny’s mouth hung open. “With  _ me _ ?”

“Yes, with you!” Draco was practically howling with anger and frustration. “I don’t bloody care what anyone else sees when they look at you! All I see is the girl that’s been driving me out of my mind for the last bloody tortuous few months and that I want to finally tell everyone belongs to me.” His chest heaved with emotion as he snarled. “You stupid great idiot.”

Ginny could do nothing but gape at the previously emotionless Malfoy as his hair stood up on end and he yelled at her in the middle of the field. His face was flushed and his robes torn and stained from the battle but she was positive she’d never seen anything so wonderful in all her life. A euphoric warmth uncurled in her stomach as she stared at him and then a wide smile creased her face. “You don’t see it.” She remembered the conversation she had on the train with Dawn the first day they met and the other girl’s insistence that when she found the right guy the scar wouldn’t matter. “You really don’t see it.” 

Draco scowled suspiciously at her smile. “What?”

Ginny moved forward and raised her arms to link them around his neck. “You’re absolutely right. I’m an idiot. Kiss me again?”

Feeling as though the world was having a private joke at his expense Draco repeated stupidly. “What?”

“Kiss.” Ginny raised herself up on her tiptoes and brushed her mouth along his neck. “Me.” Her tongue tasted his palpating pulse point. “Again.” White teeth nibbled at his skin. “Please?”

A muscle ticked in Malfoy’s jaw as he looked down at Ginny’s smiling face. “Not just for a quick shag?”

Ginny solemnly shook her head. “No. Emotions and everything.” Her mouth quirked. “I might, however, be persuaded to try out the veil thing under special circumstances.” She stroked the fingers of one hand through his hair and delighted in his shiver. “But I draw the line at a bag over my head.”

Ginny’s breath caught at the smile that broke out on Malfoy’s face at her words. He shrugged casually. “Oh well, you can’t have everything.” Draco wrapped his arms round her waist and lifted her to his eye level. “How do you feel about a mask?” He pressed his mouth to hers and swallowed the giggle that spluttered from her lips. “Be mine?”

Ginny boosted herself higher on his shoulders and wrapped her legs wantonly around her waist. “Yes.” Her eyes shone as she looked into his smiling silver ones. “If you’ll be mine?”

Malfoy cupped her bottom to anchor her more securely and lifted an eyebrow. “I’ve been yours for months. All you had to do was open your eyes and notice.”

“Consider yourself noticed.” Ginny smiled. “Now, about that kiss…”

Connor watched unseen from some yards away. He turned as Dawn stomped up behind him and grinned at her scowling face. “They finally got it together.”

Dawn glanced at the couple snogging the face off each other and smiled. “Great.” She looked piercingly at the ground around her. “Do you know where we left the broomsticks? I can’t remember where we parked.”

Connor’s grin widened. “Yeah? What a shame.” He slipped an arm round Dawn’s waist and bent her backwards until she had to grip his shoulders to keep her balance. “Remember when it was all new and exciting? The thrill of the first kiss?”

Dawn raised an eyebrow. “The blood, the guts, the screaming…” She snorted. “You sure knew how to show a girl a good time.” 

Connor waggled his eyebrows. “I still do.” One hand delved under her top and he leered down at her. “And now we’ve got past all that getting to know each other crap and I can show you a better one.” With a quick tug he had her up and then over his shoulder. “Screw the broomsticks. Lets go do the stuff that Malfoy can’t even dream of doing yet.”

Dawn eyed his butt as it moved inches from her nose. “Feeling a little jazzed after the fight are we?”

Connor smirked as he noticed a likely looking barn. “You have no idea. You’d better clear your schedule, this could take a while.”

Dawn nipped playfully at one rounded cheek. “That’ll be a first.” She yelped as Connor smacked her backside in retaliation. “Kidding!” Her mouth widened in a grin and she pinched his other butt cheek. “Can’t you go any faster?” Dawn giggled as Connor broke into a fast trot and squeezed his ass in both hands. “Giddy-yup, horsie! Giddy-yup!”


	6. Christmas part 2, Alternate Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another alternate Christmas

The Durus Cateanus common room was a scene of devastation. Limp and exhausted bodies lay scattered around like so much slaughtered beef and it was still only eleven o’clock on Christmas morning. “ _ Heeeeee _ !” Roberto shot past the crackling fireplace on his new shiny red scooter, one leg propelling him as fast as he could go. “Connor, Connor, watch me!”

Connor raised his head from where it was comfortably cradled in Dawn’s lap as they occupied the window seat and watched the little boy run over some discarded wrapping paper, get his wheels all tangled up and somersault head over heels to land on Spike who was stretched out full length on the floor grabbing a crafty forty winks. “I see you, buddy.” Connor grinned as Spike’s eyes snapped open in pained surprise and he grabbed for his bruised groin. “Nice landing.”

Roberto braced his hands on Spike’s thighs and, still kneeling, began to jump up and down. “Do the face, do the face!”

“Bleedin’ hell.” Spike grabbed Roberto by the scruff of his collar and hoisted him hurriedly into the air. “You might be too young to have a use for ‘em but that don’t mean we all are, kid. Watch the stones!” He rolled his eyes as Roberto’s face fell and let his demon face show, complete with glowing yellow eyes and a deep growl as he flashed his fangs. “There you go, Nugget.”

“You look silly, bite me!” Roberto’s face lit up and he began to giggle as Spike lowered him and pretended to savage his neck. “That tickles!”

“Yes, that’s exactly what we should be teaching these children.” Giles and Wesley exchanged looks where they were seated with Arthur Weasley enjoying a snifter of seasonal brandy before the warm fire. “Laugh hysterically the moment they clap eyes on a vampire and demand to be bitten.”

Spike paused, considered Giles’ dry words and then shrugged dismissively. “Bleedin’ stuffed shirt.” He got to his feet and set Roberto on the floor. “Off you trot now, kid, go find, Peaches. He loves munching on rugrats as much as the next demon.”

Roberto pouted and his little lip trembled. “He’s trying to fix Luca’s toy.” He stretched up on his tiptoes and whispered confidingly. “He said a bad word.”

“Did he now?” Spike took the little boy’s hand with a smirk and led him towards the nursery. “Let’s go see if we can get ‘im to say another one, shall we?”

Dawn looked up from stroking her fingers idly through Connor’s shiny hair as Kit followed Liz into the room. “But it’s not serious, right? I mean, you just needed a date and he was available?” Kit was practically wringing her hands. “You don’t actually like  _ Snape _ , do you?”

Liz raised an eyebrow and settled Sara more securely against her shoulder as she began to try and wind the baby. “Sweetie, Professor Snape is a very nice man. He’s been very helpful in helping me understand how the school works and I found him very pleasant when we attend the staff meetings. He’s gone out of his way to help me settle in and when you kids have been training or in class he always makes himself available if anything comes up that I need magic for.” Liz pressed a quick kiss to Sara’s soft head as the baby gave a belch that nearly propelled her small body into the air. “Well done, sweetie.”

“But you don’t  _ like _ him?” Kit’s eyes widened pleadingly. “I mean, not  _ like him _ , like him.” 

“Do you know how long it’s been since I went on a date?” Liz’s face was a study in exasperation as she faced her daughter. “New Year, 1999. That’s a long time between smoochies, Kit.”

“Oh God.” Kit clapped a hand over her mouth and wailed. “Do you want me to be ill?” She glared at her mother. “You cannot date  _ Snape _ !”

“Fine. Then I suggest you go tell Harry it’s all off, because if you get to veto my dates then I get to veto yours.” Liz sniffed and cupped a hand to the baby’s head as she began to doze and her small nose bounced off the woman’s shoulder. “I don’t think you should date him and I don’t want you dating anyone else until you hit forty. How’s that for fair?”

“ _ Mom _ !” Kit threw up her hands in despair and whined. “You’re being unreasonable.”

Liz patted Kit’s shoulder consolingly. “But I’m being unreasonable with a date for dinner this afternoon. You’d be surprised how much better it makes me feel.” She pressed to Kit’s cheek and smiled. “Go see your boyfriend, honey, and let me concentrate on mine.”

Kit gaped at her mother and then flounced over to the laughing Dawn and Connor. “Shut up.” She threw herself down beside them and folded her arms petulantly. “This is so… _ icky _ .”

“It could be worse.” Connor tipped his head back and grinned at Kit’s sulky face. “It could be Dumbledore.”

“Eww.” Kit scrunched up her nose and took a swipe at Connor’s head. “Don’t go there. I can’t believe she thinks Snape is  _ nice _ .” She stared incredulously at her mother, now idly rocking Sara as she chatted with Arthur Weasley and asked hopefully. “There’s no end of the world prophecies that we’ve missed or anything is there? Y’know, not a big one or anything, but just one that might start with people going crazy or getting possessed. She could be possessed, right?”

“I wouldn’t count on it.” Dawn grinned at Kit’s woeful face. “Suck it up, Horvath, it’s good that she’d found someone to make her happy.”

“But  _ Snape _ ?” Kit threw up her hands once more. “Am I the only person here to see that’s against all the laws of god and man?”

“Preaching to the choir, baby.” Willow sauntered across with a wide smile and patted Kit on the shoulder. “That’s exactly what I said when Xander and Cordy dated, but did anyone listen to me?” Her smile widened at three questioning faces. “Nope.” She giggled as she looked at the three on the window seat. “Nice sweaters.”

Dawn and Kit exchanged looks and then looked down at their fuzzy torsos. “They’re Weasley jumpers.” Dawn stretched out the woolly fabric and eyed the wooden stake lovingly drawn against the emerald background. “Ron says they’re a tradition.”

Kit smiled reluctantly as she traced the small figure in a white sheet floating against her own red jumper. “It’s a whole big thing.” She pushed back the sleeves on the sweater with a giggle. “Although Mrs Weasley seems to think that we’re all as big as Ron. I’m gonna have to eat everyone’s dinner to stand a chance of filling this out properly.” 

Connor looked approvingly at his own present. “I like it. Practical, warm…” He poked the motif of a generic demon being impaled by a very sharp sword. “It’s very me.”

“That it is, baby.” Dawn bent awkwardly and kissed Connor’s nose. “I can’t believe this is our first Christmas together.”

“And we’re trapped in a magical castle filled with witches and wizards and our families.” Connor blinked woefully up at her. “And there’s not a chance of getting naked in sight.”

Dawn giggled and laced her fingers with his. “I don’t care, we’re together.” She sighed happily. “We’re finally all together.”

Kit stopped glaring at her mother and nudged Dawn smugly. “We rocked yesterday, huh?”

“We  _ so _ did.” Dawn held up her free hand and looked at it critically in the weak Christmas sunlight. “And this whole super-healing thing, isn’t too shabby either.” The thin red line on her palm that was all that was left of yesterday’s gaping wound barely showed against the pink of her skin. “Although if I have to hear Giles say ‘Good Lord’ one more time I think I’m gonna scream.”

“He’s just concerned.” Willow’s face creased with worry. “We all are. It took a lot of mystical power to do what you did yesterday and…”

Kit’s whole face lit up as Harry came down the stairs from the upper level and she stopped listening to Willow. “Uh-huh.” She held out a hand to Harry as he hesitated and then felt her heart go thump as he hastened towards her with an eager smile. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Harry looked at Dawn and Connor and then bent to give Kit a self-conscious peck on the lips. “You ok?”

“Yeah.” Kit stood up, pushed Harry onto the seat and then plumped down onto his lap. “You?”

Harry blushed as Connor narrowed his eyes at him and then slid his arms loosely around Kit’s waist. “Yeah. I just wanted to send a reply to Remus’ card. He sent me a book on Quidditch, as well.” He felt the blush on his face deepen as Kit swung around and linked her arms around his neck with a casual kiss to his cheek. “He…er…um….”

Dawn slapped Connor’s chest as he gave a low growl of disapproval. “Stop it. She’s entitled to as much smoochies as the next person.” She ignored his scowl and leered knowingly at Harry. “Any sign of Ron and Hermione yet?”

“No.” Harry, profoundly grateful for the change in subject, sniggered. “Although Mrs Weasley’s just threatened to get Willow to blow the door off if they don’t come out soon. I think she’s definitely moved past the point of pretending she doesn’t know what they’ve been doing now.”

Willow blinked. “Me? I can’t do that!” She sighed at Dawn’s pointed look. “Well, ok, I can. But I don’t like to. Only using magic when there’s no alternative, remember?”

“Wills, they’ve been humping like bunnies since last night.” Dawn rolled her eyes. “They carry on much longer and they won’t be able to walk to the final battle never mind fight in it.”

“You don’t know that.” Willow cast a reluctantly impressed look at the stairs. “Do you?”

“This nose never lies.” Connor tapped his face with a smirk. “Thank God me and the boys got clothes for Christmas. We’d have looked pretty stupid sitting around in dress clothes at breakfast this morning if we hadn’t.”

“I don’t know.” Dawn and Kit exchanged thoughtful looks. “You guys looked pretty hot last night.”

“Really?” Harry squirmed as everyone looked at him. “I mean, we didn’t look quite so good after we’d slept all night in our clothes.” He coughed uncomfortably as his audience continued to smirk. “Not after spending the night on the training mats, right?”

“The way Draco carried on you’d have thought we were sleeping in the wilds of Quor’toth.” Connor laughed as he remembered the job he’d had to persuade Draco not to go storming downstairs to find Mrs Weasley when they’d arrived back and demand she let him into their rooms. “No sense of romance that guy.”

* * *

Christmas morning dawned bright and sunny at Hogwarts and Durus Cateanus were woken hours before they were ready to face the day by two hysterical children hurtling screaming through the apartments trailing hopping chocolate frogs and bits of tinsel behind them. A rather less joyful scream was heard from Willow as Luca scrambled over her to reach Connor in the bunk beds that had been hastily erected the night before and then three half-melted frogs jumped up on her quilt and began to croak at her horrified face. 

Spike groaned and pushed his face into Buffy’s hair, lying in tangled strands over his outstretched arm. “That’s it, I don’t care how much we missed the Nibblet and the Queen of the Damned, we’re definitely finding a room with less of a bleedin’ view tonight.”

Buffy cracked open one eye, got a much closer look at her best friend’s butt than she’d ever wanted to as Willow scrambled out from her cosy nest of blankets to escape the bouncing chocolate frogs in the bed next to hers and then turned to bury her face in Spike’s chest. “Seconded.” She pressed her lips to his cool skin. “Wake me at New Year.”

Spike chuckled and pulled the blankets over their heads, happily ignoring Willow’s pleas and shrieks. “Wasn’t thinkin’ of letting you sleep, Slayer.” One hand drifted down her slender back to her pyjama-covered butt. “I was thinkin’ more along the lines of…”

“Wakey, wakey!” Dawn whisked to covers back to beam down at her sister and her undead lover. “Happy Christmas! Hey, what are you two doing?” Her eyes widened as she watched Spike hastily move his hand from Buffy’s ass to a more PG related position. “Oh! Sorry.”

“Dawn, get lost.” Buffy groped with one hand for the covers and yanked them back over herself and Spike. “This is  _ not _ family time.”

“Well, duh.” Dawn rolled her eyes and poked sharply at the lumpy covers. “Get up, it’s Christmas and I want my presents. And Willow’s seriously freaking out over here.”

“I can’t hear you.” Buffy snuggled closer to Spike and squeezed her eyes so tightly shut that little sparks of light went off behind her eyes. “You’re not real.”

“Been there, tried to kill that.” Dawn poked her sister again. “You’re not skipping out on handing over the Christmas goodies on the insanity plea again. Hand ‘em over, Slay-gal.”

A tuft of bleached hair poked out from the nest of blankets and one ice blue eye focused in annoyance on Dawn. “We decided to blow your pressie money on stuff for us. Piss off and bug Angel.”

“Spiiiiike!” Looking about as mature as Roberto and Luca as they bounced up and down on Connor, Dawn stamped her foot and whined pitifully. “It’s Christmas!”

“Bloody hell!” Spike surged upright and glared at his childe. “Five minutes of bleedin’ peace and quiet, is that too much to ask? Bugger off!”

“Spike, be nice.” Cordelia sat up in the bed opposite and pushed her hair back from her bleary face. “What time is it?”

“Way to early for this crap.” Draco leaned over the edge of his bed and glared angrily at the room in general. “Will you all just belt up and let me get back to sleep?” He groped under his bed where the two small boys were jumping enthusiastically on a groggy Connor and grabbed Luca by the scruff of his neck. The toddler gave a scream of delight as Draco swung him up to eye level and hissed. “If you don’t shut up I’m going to rip out your entrails and feed them to Hagrid’s dog.”

Luca, high on chocolate and shiny papered excitement, gave another high-pitched yodel of joy and wriggled in Draco’s unhappy grasp. “Yes! Yes! I want to see Fang!”

Draco narrowed his eyes at the little face and then reluctantly grinned. “You really are as stupid as you look, aren’t you, you little maggot?” He grunted with effort as he rolled onto his back and brought Luca in to land on top of his stomach where the little boy resumed his frenetic bouncing. “If you shove your knee into my lungs one more time, I’m going to cut your legs off.”

Luca braced his hands on Draco’s wide shoulders and leaned in until they were nose to nose. “Presents?” He cocked his little head to one side and smiled hopefully. “Please?”

Draco moved the little body away from the edge of the bed and closer to the wall, making sure that his raised leg was between Luca and the seven foot drop, before folding his arms under his head and enquiring coolly. “Do you think you deserve any? Have you been a good boy?”

Luca nodded solemnly. “Yes.” His face screwed up in earnest thought and he nodded again. “Good boy.”

“Hmm.” Draco pursed his lips and shook his head. “I don’t know, are you sure?”

Luca’s head blurred as he nodded and Draco was forced to grab for him before he toppled off the bed. “I’ve been a good boy.” Luca wriggled until he was lying flat against Draco’s chest and was able to wrap his arms awkwardly around Draco’s neck. “I have!”

Draco cast a quick look at the rest of the room and was relived to see no one was paying them the slightest bit of attention as Willow was still providing a floor show with the frogs.


	7. Post Series?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I... Honestly do not know where this one goes. MsGordo had it listed as Chapter 35, but it doesn't fit there. In fact, it mentions it all being over, so I am going to assume it is an outtake from a chapter that was never posted.

Ginny was the only one of the four girls awake two hours later. After they had arrived back at the school, the girls had been whisked off to the hospital wing over the very vocal, and in Ron and Draco’s case physical, protests of the boys and before they knew what had hit them were tucked up in a private side ward and left to contemplate the ceiling. Ginny had waited as one by one Hermione, Kit and Dawn had slipped into an exhausted sleep and then had got out of her narrow hospital bed to pad to the window and sit wrapped in a blanket on the wide sill to stare into the gardens. She couldn’t believe it was finally over, that the fighting and the loses were finished and they could start to rebuild their lives. Silent tears slipped down her face as she thought of Charlie and Percy and the many years she had before her without her brothers but the sheer overwhelming relief of knowing the rest of her family safe tempered her grief to a dull throb and soon she just sat enjoying the peace of the still night. She turned her head as the door opened behind her, expecting to see the disapproving face of Madam Pomfrey, and then she was scrambling to the floor in alarm as the door apparently shut itself and nothing came into the room. “Oh  _ shit! _ Dawn…”

Ginny reacted on instinct as she threw herself towards Dawn’s bed and then gave a startled yelp as Draco Malfoy appeared out of nowhere, grabbing her round the waist to swing her off her feet and say grimly, “You kiss your mother with that mouth, Weasel?”

“Draco?” Ginny blinked up at her boyfriend in surprise and then punched him in the middle of his chest as she tried to squirm out of his hold, “What the bloody hell do you think you’re playing at? You scared the living daylights out of me!”

Draco bent his head and claimed her mouth in a hard kiss before muttering, “Good! You’re lucky I don’t beat them out of you.” Ginny mouth dropped open as he shook her roughly, “What the fucking hell did you think you were playing at earlier?

“What?” Ginny’s head snapped backwards and forwards as she was shaken and she tried to twist out of Draco’s grip angrily and then reached for Ron, as he appeared over Draco’s shoulder scowling fiercely, “Ron” She nearly bit her tongue off as he gave her a cold look and kept right on going.

“If you change your mind about the beating thing, Malfoy, let me know. You can borrow my belt when I’ve finished with Hermione.” Ron ignored the stunned look on his sister’s face as he abandoned her to her fate and his worst living enemy and advanced on the now awake Hermione, “I think we need to talk.”

Hermione scrambled up the bed as he glared down at her and nervously pulled the covers up to her shoulders, “Ron…?”

She yelped as Ron yanked the covers down and grabbed her arm to pull her up on her knees, “Don’t you ‘Ron’ me you treacherous bloody witch, what the sodding hell did you think you were playing at?” Hermione’s hair flew in a wild tangle of brown strands as Ron shook her furiously, “Well? I’m waiting for an answer…”

Kit nearly fell out of bed in her haste to get away from a grim faced Harry and yelped as he caught her ankle to haul her back towards him, “Don’t shake me!””

“I’m not going to shake you.” Harry gave a final tug and grunted with satisfaction as she fell against his chest and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, “I may squeeze the breath out of you, but I’m not going to shake you.” Kit wheezed as his arms tightened around her and felt the frantic thunder of his heart under her cheek, “I thought we’d lost you all.”

“I…I’m sorry. Really…” Kit gasped as his arms constricted around her a little more and shamelessly threw her friend to the wolves, “It was Dawn’s idea!”

Connor put his hands on his hips and stared down at the happily oblivious Dawn as she slept on undisturbed on her bed. He poked her, “Wake up!” Dawn frowned, shifted away from his questing finger and gave a light snore, “I said wake up!” Connor’s scowl deepened as Dawn mumbled something under her breath and began to drool on the pillow, “No I will not! And where the hell did you hear that expression, that’s disgusting! Wake up and look at me, you’ve got a hell of a lot of explaining to do…” Dawn grinned in her sleep and smacked her lips happily, murmuring something that thankfully only Connor’s sensitive hearing caught. He flushed to the roots of his hair and tried to ignore the sudden tightening in his pants at her unconscious suggestion, “Dawn Summers…”


	8. Freak... Out!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ‘out-take’ from Freakazoid High. What really happens when you finish reading.
> 
> This is in no-way connected to the series and should not be taken seriously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For SiN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Thanks from me and the characters for all your wonderful work.

Connor raised his head cautiously. “Have they gone?”

Draco opened one eye. “I think so.” He jumped up from the street where he had been lying in a crumpled heap against a streetlight and adjusted his robes. “I have to say, Ron, that was a blinding show you put on.”

Ron grinned. “You weren’t so bad yourself, mate. Did you hear that bird on Unnatural Brats yelp when you hit the post?”

Draco grinned smugly and walked across to aid Connor in pulling the rebar from his chest. “I must admit, I did present a rather stunning sight.”

Connor tugged at the bar in his chest with a scowl. “I hate to break up the mutual love-in, but I do have an  _ iron bar _ through my chest here!”

Harry sat up with a wince and gestured to his own chest. “You think you have problems?” He looked forlornly down at the cross bolt. “Look what you did to my best robes.”

“Cheer up, lad.” A bony white hand clapped on Harry’s shoulder and Lord Voldemort beamed fondly down at him. “Its not like you can’t get your lovely young lady to mend it for you.”

Hermione snorted as she wandered over to join them. “In your dreams, Tom. The day I start mending and darning for those two is the day you can finally put me in the ground. And I’m  _ not  _ Harry’s young lady.”

Ron grinned wolfishly and smacked Hermione’s bum hard enough to make her yelp. “Nope, she would be mine.” He nodded to the Dark Lord. “Thought you’d gone. We still on for poker on Thursday?”

Voldemort rubbed his hands together happily. “Certainly. Prepare to lose your shirt boy.”

“Tom, Tom, always so overconfident.” Albus Dumbledore wandered over and smiled at the group. “I shall of course be attending.”

Ron and Voldemort exchanged smirks as the dark wizard said. “That reminds me, old boy. I believe there is still the matter of the twenty galleons you owe me from last time?”

Connor scowled and waved his hands over his head enthusiastically. “Hello? Bar through chest here? Anyone?”

“Don’t be such a wuss.” Dawn Summers rolled her eyes and gave her boyfriend a quick kiss. “You’ve had worse.”

“I have a piece of metal through my CHEST! How much worse can it get?” Connor pouted . “I want my dad.”

Ginny came hurtling out of nowhere to jump on Draco’s back with a squeal. “Angel and the others went for pizza. They’ll be back for the scene change.”

“Great.” Connor folded his arms as best he could over the bar. “That’s my dad. When the going gets tough, the tough go for pizza.”

Ginny licked her lips in anticipation. “And breadsticks. Yum!”

Draco squeezed her thighs pressed tightly around his waist. “I hate to be a bother, love, but I  _ have _ got a shattered spine.”

“Pfft.” Dawn waved her hand airily. “That’s nothing, I’ve been smacked so many times around the face lately, by rights it should be on the back of my head.” She nudged Connor. “And  _ someone  _ stuck me with a sword.”

“He made me do it.” Connor pointed at Voldemort, now trying to prise Dumbledore’s wallet from his bony old hand. “And I don’t remember agreeing to being stuck in the damn chest with a big piece of metal!”

“Oh, belt up, Connor.” Hermione frowned worriedly. “I’ve got this nagging feeling we’ve forgotten something important.”

Dawn looked around from examining Connor’s sucking chest wound. “Like what?”

“I don’t know.” Hermione chewed her lip. “Something about the date.”

Harry idly plucked some lint from his sleeve. “July 2 nd . What’s so great abo…”

“Doh!” Draco slapped his hand against his forehead. “SiN!”

The other characters looked nervous. “Where?” 

“No, SiN. We forgot Sin!” Draco pointed upwards to where a faint, square shimmer flickered over the sky and stage whispered. “Its her birthday!”

Ginny shook her head pityingly and also pointed upwards. “She can see the words on the screen, you twit.” The group stared up at the sky, where, sure enough, faint markings that looked like backwards typed words were flowing across the blue square.

Dawn waved. “Hi SiN!” She kicked Connor’s ankle. “Say Hi.”

“Gee, I’d love to, but I have this huge, whacking, great…”

“CONNOR!” Dawn smacked him upside the head. “SiN’s been with us from ‘Here We Come…’ and she deserves a nice ‘Happy Birthday’ at the least!”

“Riiight.” Connor moved hurriedly away from Dawn and scowled at the sky. “As I recall she let you die in that one and now me and Harry have been stabbed. I don’t call that good betaing.” He flinched as the girls moved as one towards him and added hurriedly. “However, I can be the bigger person. Happy Birthday, SiN!”

“Happy Birthday!” Dawn waved merrily at the sky. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Voldemort and Dumbledore smiled upwards. “Happy birthday, my dear!”

Draco and Ginny grinned. “Have a good one!”

“Hope its better than mine usually are!” Harry waved cheerfully.

Ron groped Hermione and leered. “Just say the word, babe. Me and Herm will be round like a weasel through a greased pipe!”

“Eww!” Dawn smacked his arm and then tensed in alarm. “Crap! That sounds like another reader on the way.” She listened warily and then paled. “It is! Quick, places everyone! You three, look dead…”

Connor sighed.” Not a problem.” He watched Draco sprinting back towards his lamppost. “The reason being, I have this bar…”

The other characters rolled their eyes. “Shut UP, Connor!”

Dawn winked up at the sky before resuming her vacant stare as Angel and Buffy sprinted down the street, hastily cramming the last of their pizza in their mouths. “Happy birthday, SiN. We love you!”


End file.
